FAO and Azerbaijan partner for better health outcomes through strengthened food consumption data

What we eat shapes our health, well-being, and future. From traditional home-cooked meals to store-bought products, people make daily food choices that directly affect their health. Reliable data is essential for understanding these decisions, identifying nutritional gaps, assessing food safety risks, and shaping policies that promote healthier diets. Without accurate data on food consumption, it is difficult to tackle issues such as malnutrition, obesity, or food safety risks.

Recognizing this, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the Government of Azerbaijan, has launched a new initiative to strengthen the country’s ability to collect and analyse food consumption data to enable the policies and practices conducive to a healthy diet for all.

On 27 February 2025, key stakeholders gathered in Baku for the national inception meeting of the project “Building Capacities on Food Consumption Data for Better Nutrition and Safer Food”. The initiative aims to equip Azerbaijan with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed, data-driven decisions that improve public health and nutrition.
By strengthening national data systems, this project will help ensure that the people of Azerbaijan have access to safer, more nutritious food.

Opening the meeting, Nasar Hayat, FAO Representative for Azerbaijan, highlighted how reliable food consumption data can directly impact people’s health and well-being. He emphasized that understanding what people eat is essential for shaping policies that promote better nutrition and food safety, ultimately contributing to a healthier future for all.

Building on this rational, Gokce Akbalik Kovesi, Food Safety Expert at the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, introduced the project and spoke about the importance of strengthening national capacities, refining data collection methods, and fostering collaboration across sectors. She stressed that this initiative is more than just numbers and statistics, it is about making informed decisions that improve lives, ensuring that everyone has access to safe, nutritious food for generations to come.

Participants at the event included government representatives from key relevant food safety, health and statistical institutions, and officials from the Cabinet of Ministers. Leading Azerbaijan academics from university and research institutions contributed their expertise in food engineering, nutrition, and public health. The private sector was also represented. Representatives from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) reinforced the project’s global relevance. Dietitians, gastroenterologists, and influential food bloggers brought valuable perspectives on dietary habits and public awareness. This wide-ranging collaboration underscored a united effort to ensure that reliable food consumption data informs policies that lead to the better, healthier, safer food systems for all.

By investing in better data today, Azerbaijan is taking a crucial step toward a future where nutrition and food safety are no longer challenges, but strengths, leaving no one behind.